A Wisconsin Marine fights at Guantanamo

Contributed by Mike Phillips

General:

The U.S. Marines of the First Marine
Battalion defined their future by their landing and assault that captured
and held Guantanamo during the Spanish American War. They were the first
American troops to land in Cuba during the
war. The following article describes his experiences.

OSHKOSH BOY IN CUBAEXCITING EPISTLE RECEIVED FROM OSHKOSH SOLDIER IN BATTLE

From Marine Sergeant Bloomfield W. Riddle of Oshkosh, formerly of
Appleton. Was one of the crew of 700 marines that was first landed
on Cuban shores and planted the stars and stripes. The letter
is dated June 23 [1898] at Guantanamo, Cuba,
via Key West, Fla.

“We are out today on the scout on the mountain, about thirty miles
from Guantanamo, and probably will not see camp again for about ten days.
I have eight men with me, and have made a report of our position and that
of the enemy and have sent the same to our captain at Guantanamo.

At present I am under orders of the noted Cuban, General
Garcia, and he will give me a guide of ten or twelve Cubans when I
return to our camp.

While on the scout we are never closer than two miles to the enemy.
We have very large field glasses and our duty is to ascertain the exact
positions of the Spanish and then return to report at camp.

Our first landing in Cuba was an exciting and hazardous undertaking.
The bay of Guantanamo was our first landing place, and here lay in hiding
until about 2 o’clock in the night. Then the boats of Sampson’s fleet,
Marblehead,
Suwanee, Oregon and torpedo boat Porter began
a bombardment of the city of Guantanamo. They kept up a steady fire
until at daybreak, at a given signal, 700 United States Marines charged
upon the fort. For thirteen hours we fought with Yankee pluck and
about 7 o’clock the next evening the Spaniards gave way and retreated.
Then our boys gave such a yell of victory that it could be heard a good
mile. That yell I shall never forget as long as I live.

This rare image shows the U.S. Marines landing
at Guantanamo. The smoke from the naval bombardment is clearly visible.

Within five hours afterwards we had the city under control
with 100 killed and 169 wounded on the Spanish side and but six killed
and twelve wounded on our side. You observe that the Spaniards are
remarkably good fighters, but they cannot hit a flock of barns, as they
shoot too high. I could hear the bullets whiz over our heads.

On the following day (Sunday), June 10, about 5 o’clock, the Spaniards
made a charge on us 3000 strong. The fight lasted until Monday morning
about 10 o’clock, when the enemy withdrew with many killed and wounded.
Our loss was small, only seven men being wounded. On Thursday, June
13, in the afternoon, they fired on our pickets, killing two men.
One poor fellow had twenty-one shots in him and the other had fourteen.
This made our blood boil, of course, and we went at them with the spirit
of brutes, killing sixty and wounding ninety-five. On our side
two were killed and eighteen wounded. On Saturday, the 15,
I was sent on the scout to General Garcia,
as I told you in the beginning of my letter. I will tell
you for what I went when I return home. This letter may never reach home,
but if it does, let me know if the United States army has started for Cuba
or not, for I can hear nothing here of the movements of the troops.”

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